With Red Light Therapy (RLT) now easily accessible to South Africans via Red Lab’s versatile at-home offering, athletes are now able to incorporate this game changing treatment into their pre-season training to relieve aching muscles and shorten recovery time.

It is often argued that recovery is the most important part of any exercise and training programme, but it’s also one of the hardest things to do!

In order to enhance your personal fitness, or to progress in any sport, you have to subject your body to various stresses, such as weightlifting, sprinting, endurance runs, and the likes. But upon completion, the human body needs to adapt to these stresses - a process we call the recovery stage.

The whole purpose of recovery in exercise is to allow your muscles to adequately repair themselves. During the recovery phase, muscles repair, regenerate and strengthen in order to tolerate a higher level of strain the next time they’re engaged. In other words, taking time to heal makes you stronger and less susceptible to future injuries.

But as much as we know this to be true, it’s all too easy to be tempted to skip a recovery day - especially in the middle of training hard for an upcoming event when you can least afford to take a day of rest.

The good news is that there are ways to speed up recovery. Physical rest, hydration, proper nutrition, contrast therapy, ice baths and massage are all well known contributors to recovery. 

New on the block, however, is Red Light Therapy - a non-invasive, and effective light therapy treatment that’s growing in popularity amongst trainers and athletes to improve cell performance and blood circulation essential for tissue and muscle recovery. It works by using LEDs to deliver red and near infrared wavelengths that deeply penetrate the skin and cells, speed up muscle repair and minimise pain and swelling. The therapy accelerates the healing process by enhancing macrophage activity responsible for the white blood cell’s healing and anti-inflammatory response.

Pro tip: Red Lab’s Flex Pad is getting rave reviews from athletes who are benefiting from this game-changing treatment. The flex pad is a high-end, medical-grade dual optical energy (red and near infrared) neoprene pad. The pad’s dual wavelengths treat injured skin surfaces while simultaneously repairing deeper muscle, bone, tissue, and joint damage. The therapy pad is a safe, non-invasive treatment that you can add to your recovery process so that you can get back in the game stronger than ever.

According to Nicholas Draper, who travelled to South Africa from the UK to participate in this year’s Cape Epic, the use of Red Lab devices, in between training days in the lead up to the race, really aided his preparation for the gruelling event. Treating sore back and leg muscles between race stages was also possible due to the portable and chargeable nature of the flex pad.

Triathlon champ and Ironman contestant, Karen Trotman-Pitt, boasted positive feedbank since using the Red Lab Big Bank which offers full body Red Light Therapy coverage. “As I head into the last stretch of training for Ironman, I have been using the Red Lab Big Bank every day and have noticed that my muscles recover quicker and I feel less fatigued and sluggish. My running pace is better and my 'aches & pains' are not as intense.”

Seconding the benefits of RLT, Olympian swimmer Rebecca Meder says she uses the Red Lab Flex Pad in her recovery regime. “It is ideal for someone like me who is in the gym or the pool for so many hours of the week…. my shoulders get incredibly sore.”

Rebecca says she uses the device while reading a book, scrolling through her phone or relaxing in front of the TV.  “It helps me really work on the intricate tissue and muscles. I don’t like to stretch so Red Light Therapy is an easy way to get my recovery in. I love the fact that it's so versatile, super light and can fit in your bag.” She adds that she’d recommend this device to anyone, not only athletes. Her parents have also used it for everyday aches and pains, and enjoy the quick recovery benefits.

Visit the Red Lab website to purchase the Red Light Therapy at-home devices and start your journey to pain relief. Follow Red Lab on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for regular updates and more information.